Instructional Archive: "Cutting and Chemistry"

As part of an ongoing series, Inside Lacrosse is scouring its archives to bring you years worth of instructional tips that you may have missed. Former All American Kevin Boland talks about the keys to successful off-ball movement and some drills to improve your game. This article first appeared in the November 2005 Issue.

After an average freshman year at Johns Hopkins, Kevin Boland exploded as a sophomore and finished his college career as a three-time All-America and a third round pick in the 2004 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft.

He’s not the biggest, the fastest or the strongest player on the field, so he makes his mark with determination and exceptional field vision. In an overtime win over Navy his senior year, Boland hooked up with Conor Ford four times, including the hoop that sent it into OT with 48 seconds left. That’s just one example. When all was said and done, Boland sat 10th in career assists at Hopkins.

Here, with the help of former JHU teammates Matt Rewkowski and Kyle Barrie, Boland spreads the wealth of his knowledge on off-ball movement.

The keys to becoming a good off-ball player are constant motion, timing your cuts and having some kind of chemistry with the person who’s feeding you the ball.

There are so many players today who rest when they don’t have the ball and need the ball in their stick in order to be successful. If you commit yourself to becoming an off-ball player and work really hard without the ball, there is no question you can double your offensive production.

Think about it from a defensive standpoint. When you’re guarding someone off-ball, it’s exhausting if your man won’t stop moving. It’s also very helpful to know what the defense is trying to accomplish. Always know what your defender is trying to do and take advantage of the fact that he’s not only trying to cover you, but he’s also worried about sliding and helping his teammates.

Game Example: Down the Back Pipe

When someone is dodging from behind the goal, a great time to cut is when you see the back of your defender’s helmet. A lot of times when you’re inside on the crease, defenders get very worried about sliding, forget about their man and watch the ball. This is an ideal time to cut on an angle to the backside pipe or right behind your defender.

Again, some kind of eye contact and chemistry with your teammate who is feeding the ball is key. Defense is very difficult to play perfectly, and no matter what, there is bound to be some kind of breakdown.

Game Example 2: Sneaking to the Back Side

The same goes for up top. When the ball is up top, it’s very difficult as a defender to guard a player behind the goal, simply because the goal gets in the defender’s way. A great time to cut is when a player dodges from up top down the side. When you see your teammate dodge down the side, cut hard to the opposite pipe with your stick ready to shoot. Again, the point is to not stand still. If you’re moving, this is a great way to catch your defender ball-watching and to get an easy goal.

Also, when you are off-ball, always have your stick in a position where you can catch the ball and get a shot off. For example, never have your stick at your feet or down by your waist. Have your stick in a position where the feeder can see it and can feel confident that he can get you the ball in a dangerous position.

In order to become a better off-ball player, you can practice these scenarios over and over with your teammates. These looks should be open in games as long as you communicate with your feeder.

16 From 12 We've Heard that Before

At Johns Hopkins, I had great chemistry with Conor Ford. He was so smart off-ball that he made my job as a feeder that much easier. I always knew where Conor was when I dodged, and before I fed him the ball, we always made eye contact. There were times at Hopkins when Conor was barely open and I’d find a way to get him the ball in a perfect position where he could score. The reason was that I had so much confidence in him as a shooter and he had so much confidence in me as a passer. That was the key to our chemistry. We practiced together every day and did the same things in practice over and over, which translated directly to game day.

Without Conor’s finishing ability I wouldn’t have had the career I had at Hopkins, and vice versa. If you look at Conor and myself, we are not your typical big, strong, fast athletes. But our chemistry, unselfishness and commitment to off-ball play was what set us apart. That’s the beauty of lacrosse.

Practice Drill: Move Your Feet and Finish

This drill is pretty simple, but don't underestimate its effectiveness. All attackmen and middies should work on this fairly regularly.

Start with two feeders behind the goal (one on each side) and a shooter on the crease. Each feeder should have a pile of 15-20 balls.

The shooter, starting about five yards above the crease, cuts to one feeder, catches and shoots. Then, without hesitating, he turns and cuts to the other feeder (making sure to switch hands with his stick), catches and shoots. Continue cutting back and forth until all of the balls are gone.

A couple things to focus on: always keep your stick by your ear in a ready position to catch and shoot; make sure you get back up high before beginning the next cut; and perhaps most importantly, don't get sloppy when you get tired. Catch every single pass and finish strong. That way, you can do it in a game.